What Does Acts 19:25 Mean in the King James?
Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Greek word translated “wealth” pictures provision as a good way through, opened by the craft.
THE MEANING
Your livelihood is not abstract from your work: what you make becomes one of the means by which you are provided for. People bound to the same craft can recognize that shared stake at once.
THE ROOT
εὐπορία
euporía
GROWS FROM
πορ-
por-
Passage or way through; by extension, a means or resource.
English makes “wealth” sound like a stockpile; εὐπορία (euporía, prosperity or available means) pictures provision as a viable way through. Its kin ἀπορία (aporía, an impasse or lack of a way) sharpens the contrast: this craft supplies the route by which they live.
ALSO GROWS
póros: A passage, way, or means.
πόρος
This supplies the base sense behind εὐπορία: means as an available route or resource.
aporía: An impasse, perplexity, or lack of a way.
ἀπορία
Its negative prefix reveals the contrast with having a good route or means.
ἐργασία
ergasía
GROWS FROM
ἐργ-
erg-
Work or doing.
The Greek ἐργασία (ergasía, work or business) shares its root with the word for “workmen.” The verse gathers workers and names their craft through one work-family, tying their livelihood to their shared labor.
ALSO GROWS
érgon: Work, deed, or task.
ἔργον
The craft belongs to the wider word-family of work and action.
ergátēs: Worker or laborer.
ἐργάτης
This is the word-family behind “workmen,” linking the people to the craft that provides for them.
THE PATTERN
Labor produces material provision that can sustain life and meet need.
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.THE THREAD
So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.The word translated “craft” in both verses is ἐργασία (ergasía, work or business). The next sentence names that same livelihood as being in danger, revealing how tightly their means are bound to what their hands produce.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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